


Summer Nights

by blameless_nameless



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, definitely not slow build, idfk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2018-04-17 15:30:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4671803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blameless_nameless/pseuds/blameless_nameless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And they fell in love those summer nights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was only a fish, how did it end up like this? It was only a fish. _It was only a fish._  
>  Or, idk, something like that.  
> Um, so, [ka-nekos](http://ka-nekos.tumblr.com) on Tumblr made just like. The most amazing art for me. And now one of them is my phone background so uh. <3  
> (I'm on [Tumblr](http://staplesfics.tumblr.com), too!)

It’s something of a secret of Daichi’s - that he really loves the ocean. The beach is great, of course - the sand burning the soles of your feet, and the sea breeze through your hair. Squinting into the sun, but not even noticing, because there’s too much else to take in. Daichi loved all that, sure, but what he really loved was ocean life. The fish and the coral and the kelp and the methane plumes that feed the crustaceans on the ocean floor. From the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone, he loved all of it.

He also loved photography, which was a bit _less of a secret_.

Unfortunately, combining these two interests is no easy task. Ideally, he could scuba dive in a coral reef, or hitch a ride on a fishing boat to see the open ocean, but the cost of such expeditions was insurmountable for a twenty-something university student. Special photography equipment, scuba gear and lessons - not to mention the cost of the actual trip.

Maybe one day he’ll win a sweepstakes or something. That’d cover it.

Until then, Daichi had to rely on more modest methods that were within his means.

So, when he heard that the local aquarium was hosting an overnight lock-in, he obviously jumped at the opportunity. Spend a night under the glow of aquarium tanks instead of _another_ night under the low ceiling of his cramped unit apartment? Yes, please.

And that’s how he ended up in the domed tunnel in the center of the aquarium, clutching his camera to his chest while sharks and groupers and triggerfish soared over his head. He was instantly enraptured, and lifted his camera to his face without a thought, twisted the lens, and held his finger over the button until he located his first subject.

The familiar rapid snapping of the shutter filled his ears as he followed a school of snappers along its path just inside the glass. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye and moved instinctively to capture it in the frame, then pulled away from the viewfinder in utter confusion. He’d been expecting to see a fish, but what is…

“Whoa.” Daichi couldn’t help thinking that he was surrounded by beautiful things that day. In the path of his lens stood probably the most attractive person he’d ever seen. Dark, shining eyes accented by a mole set high on his left cheek. His amused expression was framed by soft, messy waves of hair swept over to either side of his face. Something about him looked so _alive_. Daichi fought against the urge to raise his lens to capture the image before him, even if it wasn’t a fish.

The boy tilted his head and scrunched his brows. “What?”

“What? Uh, nothing. Hi.” Daichi ran his thumb over the rubber grip on the side of his camera. An annoying nervous habit he developed almost as soon as he picked up photography.

“Hi,” he replied with a chuckle. The amused expression returned as quickly as it had disappeared. “Can I see them? If you don’t mind, I mean.”

It took Daichi a few seconds to figure out what he meant. When he caught on, he opened his photos and moved to the boy’s side so he could see the screen. They spent a few moments flipping through the pictures Daichi had already taken, the boy _ooh_ -ing and _ahh_ -ing, and Daichi mumbling something about how _that one’s no good, the composition is all wr-_ or _but I overcorrected the exposure on that one_ , dropping one too many technical terms in his embarrassment. When they reached the end, they both pulled back to face each other again. Daichi’s mind was racing, trying to figure out _something to say_ , but before he could, the boy’s face cracked into a wide smile, and laughter spilled from his throat into the air around them. His laugh was beautiful, too, coaxing out Daichi’s own laughter and making his heart thud in his chest.

”That couldn't have been more awkward if we tried!" With some effort, he suppressed his laughter enough to introduce himself. "I'm Sugawara. Koushi."

It was only then that Daichi noticed the flush spread across Sugawara’s face, almost hidden by the low light in the tunnel. Daichi’s own burning face made him relieved to see it. At least he’s not the only one. A bright smile spread across his face, and he replied simply. “Sawamura Daichi.”

Well, things could only go uphill from there.

They spent the rest of the night together, Daichi hidden behind his lens, and Sugawara pointing at his favorite fish through the glass. They were always the ones with the brightest colors, especially if one of those colors was yellow. Daichi thought he was almost like a kid in that way, carefree by default and happy for the sake of being happy. He found himself extremely jealous of the people Sugawara shared his life with. They must be the happiest people in the whole country.

From their conversations that night, Daichi learned that he and Sugawara attended the same university, but in vastly different departments. Sugawara was impressed by his guts, studying any form of art in this day and age, and Daichi wondered aloud whether or not National Geographic might hire him, which got a chuckle out of both of them.

Sugawara was studying business, which Daichi thought was extremely fitting. He had this charisma that made you want to do just about anything he asked of you. He was also studying English on the side, in the hopes that one day, he may be sent to America or England.

Daichi asked if he could tag along when that day came, which earned him a punch to the shoulder and an exasperated, “ _Sawamura-san!_ ”

Sugawara said his name numerous times that night, and it made his heart pound every time.

When they had settled in for the night, lounging on their sleeping bags, Sugawara tapped Daichi’s forearm, then whipped out his cell phone and waved it in the air between them. Daichi got that message loud and clear. He rolled his eyes and reached toward the pocket of his bag for his own phone. That was just for show, though. The truth of the matter was, instead of rolling his eyes, Daichi wanted to leap into the air and dance from one end of the tunnel to the next, and back again. He never dreamed he’d get this boy’s phone number. He felt like a middle school girl talking to her first crush. He felt so silly, but so hopeful.

They exchanged numbers, and Sugawara leaned back into his pillow, staring up at his phone screen. “So, what should I call you, then?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your name! Your name! ‘Sawamura-san’ is kind of a mouthful, don’t you think? I mean, I could call you ‘Sawa’, I guess, but,” Sugawara turned onto an elbow and lowered his voice. “Back in high school, I had a friend we called Sawa - turned out, he was a shit friend.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

"No, no, it’s fine. It was years ago.” He waved it off with a breathy laugh. “I’m not asking for sympathy, I’m asking if I could - maybe - call you ‘Daichi’ instead, if that’s… alright with you?”

Daichi’s heart jumped into his throat. He coughed to cover it. “Yeah, I mean - yeah. Should I use ‘Koushi’, then?”

Sugawara immediately let out a rapid string of _no_ ’s. “‘Suga’ is fine. That’s what my friends use.”

Daichi couldn’t help a small laugh escaping. “Suga, then.”

“And Daichi.”

They just smiled at each other for a moment, then Suga fell back into his pillow, gazing into the water above them. Daichi thought he heard him mumble something like, “...glad I met you.”

Just in case, he responded, in the smallest whisper, “Me too.”

*

The next morning was a slow one. It took Daichi a while to wake up, and even longer to get up, wanting to savor his time under the tank. Wishing he could wake up like that every morning, surrounded by giant fish and millions of gallons of water. Then he turned his head to the spot beside him, taking a moment to process the image. Then he _remembered_. Suga turned to meet his eyes and shot him the gentlest, most content smile Daichi thought he’d ever seen. It might’ve been beautiful, but the sight itself forced a _snort_ from Daichi’s nose. He clapped his hands over his mouth to force down his laughter, but it just wouldn’t work.

Suga’s face twisted into confusion. “What - what’s so funny?”

“Your _hair!_ ” Daichi couldn’t tear his eyes away from it. The laws of gravity had no effect on Suga’s hair, it seemed.

Suga chewed on that for a minute before the realization hit him. His eyes blew wide with absolute _terror_. He dove for his bag to pull out a baseball cap and tugged it over his head. He held the bill in front of his face and stared at his knees until he could compose himself, then lifted it only slightly to peek at Daichi around his fist. He tried to make his gaze as threatening as possible. “You saw nothing.”

“I dunno, I might’ve seen something.”

“ _Nothing_.”

“Buy my silence.”

That earned Daichi a hit to the side. “What’ll it cost me?”

Daichi bit his lip to try and hide a satisfied smile. “Cup of coffee?”

Suga’s natural brightness returned almost immediately. Once he’d cleaned up a bit in the staff facilities, he was practically bouncing, dragging Daichi along by the wrist toward his favorite cafe. He made Daichi try his favorite blend, “ _black, you have to drink it black!_ ”, and even bought him some breakfast before they went their separate ways for the day. He only let him go when Daichi promised to use his phone number, and soon.

“There’s a reason you have it, after all!”

The mountain of responsibilities waiting for Daichi back in the real world didn’t seem quite so intimidating anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't choose the ship, the ship chose me.
> 
> Update, I fixed the links lol whoops~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ~~You'd tell me if this was completely awful, right?~~  
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://staplesfics.tumblr.com)!

If Sawamura Daichi was anything, he was a man of his word. At least, that’s what he told himself as his thumb hovered over the little green call button a couple of days later. But really, he knew he was just dying to see Suga again. He had fallen hard and fast for that boy, it seemed.

And he was okay with that. His ever-pounding heart was a little annoying, but aside from that, he couldn’t complain.

The whole experience brought him back to his short-lived adolescent romances, made him want to do all the cliche, romantic things teenagers do. Love letters in lockers, first kisses behind the gym, festival dates-- oh, festival dates!

It was then that he remembered the festival being held that weekend, and suddenly, all of Daichi’s insides were floating. Sure, it wouldn’t be a _date_ , per se, but it was a great excuse to get out and see Suga again, which is all he really wanted in the first place.

So he made the call and, to his immense pleasure, got an immediate, “ _yes!_ ”

The rest of the week was torture. On top of the wait, Daichi had to suffer his friends’ relentless teasing once they realized just how hard he was crushing. Apparently, he had some lovestruck expression permanently plastered onto his face. And, of course, that couldn’t go unnoticed. In less than 48 hours, he’d picked up a dozen or more different nicknames, from “Loverboy” to “Ladykiller”. He promised he’d give twice what he got once one of them fell in love, and that shut them up pretty quickly.

But the weekend did, eventually - mercifully - arrive, and Daichi - couldn’t make his hair sit right. And he knew it was a silly thing to worry about, but somehow, in that moment, nothing in the world was more important. He ran his fingers over his hair one more time and sighed heavily at his reflection. Maybe it’d fix itself as the night progressed. He put it out of his mind.

He and Suga had agreed to meet somewhere just outside the festival grounds, thinking it’d be less crowded than inside, and - they weren’t _wrong_ , but they may have overestimated the difference a bit. Eventually, though, they did find each other, and made their way inside.

Suga wouldn’t do anything else until they made their wishes. He was very serious about the whole thing, and made sure to find the highest place he could reach and tied his wish there. Daichi could reach just a _little_ bit higher, so he tied his wish right above Suga’s. Suga looked like he wanted to hit him. Daichi thought Suga’s pouting face was just too cute, and raised his camera to snap a picture. When he peeked at him over the top, Suga’s eyes were narrowed, his gaze piercing not through Daichi, but through his camera. He deleted the picture, but not before taking one long last look at Suga’s pout.

After that, they explored the festival, on the lookout for their favorite games. They tried to catch goldfish - Daichi was completely inept. Couldn’t catch a single fish. But when he turned to watch Suga knelt beside him, his jaw hit the floor. Suga was basically a pro. He caught almost every fish he tried for and didn’t break the paper even _once_. It was incredible. Daichi snapped a few action shots of Suga plunging the paddle into the water and the fish flopping on the paper when it surfaced. Suga seemed to enjoy the praise, and gave Daichi one of his goldfish as thanks.

And now he needed to buy fish food. But he didn’t mind.

They continued their circuit of the different booths. Daichi wanted to spend some time photographing the festival, so Suga accompanied him, watching the activity all around them, and pointing out things that he thought were pretty or would make good pictures. Daichi had to admit, the guy had a good eye.

Soon, though, Suga began to wander toward every food stall in their path, his feet led solely by his stomach. They’d both had enough of the festival anyway, so they stopped to grab some food, then made their way slowly off the festival grounds and into the surrounding park. The deeper into the park they went, the less crowded their surroundings became. The fireworks would start soon, and most people didn’t venture too far from the festival grounds to find a place to watch.

As far out as they had gone, there wasn’t really anyone around, so they got to use the best bench - right in front of a beautiful red bridge, their view of the darkening sky unimpeded by the surrounding trees or the tops of buildings. They claimed it immediately

Daichi fell back into the bench and threw an arm over the back. Lifted his face to the sky to watch the emerging stars. Suga sat sideways to face Daichi, one leg propped up against the back of the bench, and one hanging over the edge of the seat, his mostly-finished takoyaki on the seat in front of him. If Daichi moved his fingers just a little, he could touch Suga’s knee. He couldn’t seem to banish that thought from his mind.

They sat there for a few minutes, appreciating the fresh air and their beautiful surroundings, listening to the sounds of the festival in the distance. Daichi thought it was interesting that a little thing like distance could make such a large crowd sound so small.

He turned to his side to watch Suga. He had just finished eating, and was snapping the lid back over the container, and he -- Daichi snorted.

Suga lifted his gaze from the container to rest on Daichi. “What?”

Daichi threw a hand over his face and, yet again, couldn’t conceal his laughter at Suga’s expense. He said nothing, only watched Suga through his fingers, eyes shining with mirth. But it took an emphatic, “ _What?_ Daichi!” for him to respond.

He motioned to Suga’s face. “You’ve got - uh.” Ah, hell. It’d be easier to just do it himself. He stretched an arm out to Suga’s face. Pressed his finger to the corner of Suga’s mouth and brought it back to his own. “Sauce,” he said with a chuckle, then wrapped his lips around the tip of his finger.

“A-ah,” Suga mumbled, and - Daichi couldn’t be sure in such low light, but he thought he saw Suga’s Adam’s apple bob up and down in his throat. If it did, he covered it with a chuckle of his own. “Thanks, Daichi.”

Daichi hummed in response and picked up his camera, just to see what he could do with it. He hadn’t quite figured out night photography.

The moment Daichi pressed his eye into the viewfinder, a thunderous _boom_ fell from the sky. Red sparks streaked through the darkness, floated for a moment, then slowly faded. Daichi got a great shot of a row of fireworks over the bridge, through the break in the trees. He was lining up his next shot when a figure - Suga’s - burst into the frame, rushing toward the bridge ahead. Another flash, yellow this time, created a perfect silhouette, if only momentarily. As yellow sparks fell, Suga turned and waved his arm in a giant arch over his head.

“Daichi!” he called. “Put that thing down and _come on!_ ”

He didn’t wait for Daichi’s response, only continued until he reached the center of the bridge and gripped the rail until the next flash filled the sky. With the next _boom_ , he visibly relaxed. His shoulders fell, let out a long, slow breath, and laid his arms over the rail to lean on them, chin raised slightly to watch. He looked like he belonged there.

Screw what Suga said. Daichi took pictures anyway. The boy just didn’t understand how beautiful he was.

But in the next break, Suga called for him again, so there was nothing for it but to lay down the camera and join him on the bridge.

And so they watched together, Suga leaning over the rail with all his weight, and Daichi sneaking peeks at him through the corner of his eye. If something was particularly big or bright, or arranged in an interesting pattern, Suga would stretch his entire arm into the sky to point it out, make sure Daichi didn’t miss it.

Daichi had no idea that something as simple as fireworks would make Suga _that_ happy. But as they stood together, each burst reverberating through their chests and sparks reflecting in their eyes, Daichi decided that he was very glad he had invited Suga along with him. Glad that he was the one who got to see that look on Suga’s face - like he’d personally witnessed magic. Glad he was the one responsible for that face.

He was perfectly content to stay like that forever. A slight breeze picked up the tips of Suga’s hair, and he dropped his chin and turned to look Daichi right in the eye. They stayed like that for a moment, then Suga’s face lit up with one of the brightest smiles Daichi had ever seen, with squinted eyes and red-tinted cheeks. A smile that said the Suga was glad he came along, too.

Suga turned his gaze back to the sky, and Daichi watched the sparks reflected in his eyes until the sky went dark.

With the end of the fireworks show came the end of their night. Daichi offered to accompany Suga home - a _very_ date-like move, if he thought about it. That could be either very bad or very good. But Suga agreed, as he always seemed to, so they set off together in the same direction. Daichi was thrilled to talk to him more, spend more time together. But it was also the perfect opportunity to bring up that thing he’d been avoiding all night. Not that it was a _bad_ thing, but if the conversation didn’t go the right way, the rest of the night would’ve been pretty awkward. And that was the last thing he wanted. He took a breath, let it out.

“Hey, uh, any plans tomorrow night?” he asked, testing the waters.

“Nah, I’m free.” Suga looked up at him through his eyelashes. “Why? Do you have something in mind?”

“Ah, well,” Daichi began, trying desperately to regain his focus and find his words. “It’s kind of last-minute, so you might not - but, uh, I have tickets for this concert tomorrow night, and I was wondering,” - _play it cool, Daichi_ \- “Well, one of them is yours, if you want it.”

“You serious?” Nothing in Suga’s expression hinted at an answer.

“Yeah, I mean, I couldn’t figure out who to take, so I just, y’know, thought I’d ask.” Liar. Daichi never even asked anyone else. He rubbed the back of his neck.

A playful light appeared in Suga’s eyes. “What on _earth_ are you gonna do if I say no?”

“Cry, probably,” Daichi answered, with a completely straight face, reveling in Suga’s laughter. “Tears everywhere. Screaming into my pillow.”

“Ah, I didn’t realize it meant so much to you.”

“You’d _shatter_ my heart if you said no.”

“ _Shatter_ it? That sounds messy.” Suga giggled, then sighed theatrically. “Fine. But only so you don’t victimize your poor pillow.”

“That’s fair.” Daichi couldn’t hide his smile anymore. Neither could Suga. But then, neither of them tried very hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you can tell where I had trouble writing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this is prob my favorite chapter mostly bc the scene was really nice in my head. Like wow. Anyway, yeah.
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://staplesfics.tumblr.com)!

The next night, Daichi found himself, yet again, buzzing with excitement in front of his bathroom mirror, trying to decide which color brought out his eyes the best. He’s hopeless.

Hopeless, but well dressed and hot as hell. It was stupid, but he hoped Suga noticed. But if he did, Daichi would probably start blushing and ruin the whole image.

He couldn’t believe his mind sometimes.

He met Suga at the station, and from the moment they stepped onto the train to the stadium entrance, Daichi worked hard to hype the show as much as possible, especially since Suga didn’t recognize any of the bands that would be performing. He listened mostly to Western music, apparently; whatever his American penpal recommended. He liked picking out new words he learned in the lyrics.

Suga was quite possibly the coolest person in existence. He promised he’d show Daichi some of his favorites.

It was kind of a long trip, but they finally arrived at the live house and filed in - Daichi bought them beer, and they talked a little with a couple of people around them until the show started. Suga started dancing almost immediately, beer held in the air high above his head, but Daichi always started off reserved. His favorite band was on second, and it was only then that he really let loose. Suga started cheering when Daichi finally started dancing “properly” - so Daichi gave him something to cheer about. They danced together the rest of the night, and yelled and sang until they couldn’t anymore. They should’ve been exhausted, but good company and raised blood-alcohol levels kept them going until the last band was nearly finished. Then, it was time to wind the crowd down for the night.

The slow beginning notes of their last song rolled over their heads. All around them, hands rose into the air to move slowly back and forth together with the beat.

Suga flopped his arms over Daichi’s shoulders, chuckling to himself at the confused expression on Daichi’s face. “C’mon! Dance with me! It’ll be fun!”

“Yeah, yeah!” Daichi replied with a roll of his eyes, moving his hands to rest over Suga’s waist. They kept a casual distance, and Suga made exaggerated kissy faces right at him. He was goofing around a lot, but Daichi couldn’t ignore his grip on his shoulders. His heart was going crazy again, despite how hard he tried to ignore it. Well, you know what they say - if you can’t ignore your feelings, bury them with humor!

Or at least, that’s what Daichi did. At the first chorus, he made a very serious expression, eyes boring deep into Suga’s, and began dramatically lipsyncing with the vocalist until Suga was an absolute puddle of laughter, clinging to Daichi’s shoulders for support. When he could breathe properly again, he raised his head to find Daichi still looking at him, always looking at him, and he was trapped. Neither of them knew how long they stood there, gazing into each other’s eyes, didn’t even realize they were gazing at all, until applause filled the venue and their ears. They tore their hands from each other and turned toward the stage to applaud the band, faces burning.

They had hoped to find some relief from the heat and humidity in the live house when they stepped back out into the summer air - in vain. It was equally as humid and not much cooler on the streets outside. Suga tugged at his collar. They tried talking - about the show and the music and the crowd, then the weather, but ultimately, the awkwardness overpowered them and muscled them into silence. Daichi could hear his pulse in his ears again. If he had known things would turn out like this, he never would’ve suggested they go together. He turned his head a few degrees toward Suga.

“I didn’t mean any--”

“Did you feel that?” Suga lifted his face to the sky and held out a palm.

“I - no? What’re you--” He followed Suga’s eyes to the clouds, barely discernible in the darkness, only to take a raindrop right to the eye. He rubbed it to get the water out. “Um, yeah, I felt that.”

“You don’t think it’s gonna--”

And then the sky fell. They rushed to the shelter of an awning and peeked out into the rain to survey their surroundings. Daichi pulled at his hem to assess the damage. He wasn’t soaked or anything. He’d survive.

“So what’s the plan?”

Suga sniffed and wiped rain from his cheeks. “You got an umbrella?”

Daichi held his arms out. “I’m not carrying anything. You got an umbrella hidden in your pocket or something?”

Suga stuck out his tongue. “Who brings an umbrella to a concert?”

“Not us, clearly.”

They stared at each other for a moment in utter disbelief. Suga pushed his hair out of his face with a small laugh. “We’re really screwed here, huh?”

Daichi didn’t bother answering - they both knew he was right. Only one thing to do, really. He met Suga’s eyes with a silent challenge. “Looks like we’ve gotta run for it.”

That bright smile returned to Suga’s face. That smile was going to be Daichi’s new scale for success, he just knew it. As long as that smile was there, everything would be good.

“I’ll race you to the station!” Suga tapped his arm with the back of his hand, and then he was off, racing for another awning down the street. So it’s gonna be like that, huh?

Daichi launched into the rain to follow him, doing his best to ignore the drops of rain hitting his face and soaking his clothes. Suga had stopped momentarily under the awning to locate the next. Several meters along the street, there was a cafe with an inset door, and Suga ran right for it, kicking up water behind him. Daichi only stopped under the second awning long enough to shake some rain off his skin, then he was off again, windows flashing by as he drew nearer to the cafe - nearer to Suga. The soles of his shoes slid on the wet concrete as he squeezed in beside Suga, fighting to regain his breath. He pulled at his shirt, surprised to find it pulling back. It was soaked and sticking to his chest. One look at Suga told him that they were in the same boat, soaked through and panting.

Daichi slid a hand over his hair, felt water stream down the back of his neck. “This isn’t working.”

Suga snorted. “Nope!”

Daichi fell back into the wall and tried to think of a plan, staring at Suga’s shoes. They could wait the storm out, but then they’d miss the last train. And Daichi couldn’t afford a taxi.

Suga lowered himself into a squat in front of Daichi, lifted a hand, and flicked him in the forehead. “I have an idea.”

Daichi met his gaze, his curiosity plainly evident in every corner of his face. “What is it?”

Suga stood and stretched an arm out into the rain. “You’ll see.” His eyes flicked back to Daichi’s. There was something mischievous in his expression that Daichi wasn’t sure he liked. Then, everything started moving too fast.

He felt fingers wrap tightly around his wrists and tug, and suddenly everything around him was water. His feet pounded into the asphalt as he tried keeping up with the unstoppable force leading him along. Water poured off of his body, only to be replaced instantaneously. The shapes of the street around him were too muddled to make out, but there was one thing he could see clearly.

This stupid boy, with his hair sticking to his neck and his feet sliding around in his shoes, had pulled him out into the pouring rain and across the street before Daichi could even process what happened. His fingers slipped forward in Daichi’s palm, threatening to break free, so Daichi squeezed, desperate to keep them, but they escaped his grasp anyway. Daichi could only watch as this stupid boy leapt forward, arms spread like a bird in flight, and tore off down the sidewalk. Could only chase after him and hope for the best. Could only yell his name into the pounding rain and pray he heard.

He slowed to a stop in front of a flickering street lamp and turned to face Daichi. His chest was heaving and his eyes were shining, and he stretched out a hand for Daichi, the tips of his fingers straining forward. Rays of light streamed out from behind him, seemed to be emanating from within his body – from his very core.

Daichi wished he had his camera.

But he didn’t have his camera. He only had his feet. So he propelled himself forward with a fresh burst of energy, rushing toward those fingers, that hand, that stupid boy.

And when he finally reached him, Daichi slid his fingers in between Suga’s, and it was sticky and uncomfortable from the rain, but it still felt like home. They squeezed each other’s hands, and Suga led them under a cast iron archway, following a wide stone pathway until he found what he was searching for - a wide open space. Nothing but grass and mud and rain. There, he pulled them off the path and into the grass. Water pooled around their feet with every step, and they slipped a bit every few steps, but that didn’t matter. None of it mattered. They just ran. Daichi chased Suga around and around, and eventually, Suga let Daichi catch him. Daichi lifted him into the air and spun, kicking up mud with each step. They joined hands and twirled until they made themselves dizzy, then pulled each other in, closer and closer, chest to chest. Suga hummed the song they slow danced to, and they just swayed together, tangled in each other’s arms. Daichi buried his face in Suga’s shoulder, and Suga lifted a hand to the back of Daichi’s neck.

At some point, they stopped swaying. Just let the rain drown them and the rest of the world. Daichi locked his fingers over the small of Suga’s back, tried to pull him closer, even though he knew it was impossible. Suga wrapped his fingers in the collar of Daichi’s shirt, and played with the hair on the back of his neck. Daichi raised his head, pulled back just enough to see Suga’s face. He wondered if Suga could feel the pounding in his chest. Wondered if he could tell that his mind was racing. Suga gave the back of Daichi’s neck a small squeeze, then pulled him closer, closer. Daichi noticed – Suga’s eyelashes were wet from the rain, and clumped together. Closer. The tips of their noses brushed together. They tilted their heads, almost immeasurably. So close.

Then Suga froze, braced his hands on Daichi’s shoulders, and pulled away, eyes wide and shining. Neither of them dared to breathe. Suga’s fingers trailed down his arms and wrap gently around his elbows. Daichi felt the slightest pull, and unlocked his fingers so Suga’s could continue their trail down to Daichi’s hands. He held them loosely for a while, stroking Daichi’s knuckles with his thumbs. Then he dropped them.

Daichi thought he heard something about, “lots of homework”, and then the stupid, stupid boy was gone, running back the way they’d come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I died.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAVE YOU EVER HAD YOUR ASS KICKED BY TWO CONSECUTIVE MONTHS? I have.
> 
> Welp, here comes the second half, lol
> 
> As always, I'm on [Tumblr](http://staplesfics.tumblr.com)!

The rain continued into Monday, and Daichi watched the slow drizzle through the windows in his lecture hall. He took notes without thinking about what he was writing and tapped his pen on his notebook anxiously. His mind wouldn’t stop drifting, and it always seemed to drift to Suga.

Daichi had called him a couple of times the day before. At first, he didn’t get an answer. Then, a few hours later, it went straight to voicemail. Was he… Being ignored? Was Suga really that upset about that night? If he was, there was nothing else to do but to apologize and find _some_ way to make up for his behavior. He got swept up in it all, and went too far. He understood that now. Maybe some of the things he took as signs were just Suga being friendly. But--

But some of it definitely _wasn’t_. There had to be something there, he was sure of it. So then - what had scared him off?

And that’s where Daichi got stuck. No matter how long or how hard he thought about it, he’d never get the answer. He had to go to the man himself.

So he asked around for someone who knew Suga, or had a class with him. Someone who may know how to contact him. During their lunch break, he found a group in the cafeteria who had a class with him. Apparently, he was out sick - he’d asked for notes that morning, and they hadn’t heard from him since then.

Daichi wondered whether or not it would be weird to pay him a visit unannounced. He decided it probably would be. He also decided that he was going to do it anyway.

So, after his last class of the day, he stopped by the convenience store to pick up some food - a couple of meals’ worth, since he didn’t know how long Suga would be down for the count - and started in what he remembered to be the direction of Suga’s apartment. Lucky Daichi had walked him home from the festival.

And he started out feeling fine. But the closer he came to Suga’s apartment, the more nervous he felt. How was he actually going to do this? Should he just go in and apologize? Or should he act like nothing happened? Unless - what if Suga really _was_ furious with him? What if he never wanted to see Daichi again?

That would be… horrible.

It’s decided, then. He’d apologize profusely from the second Suga opened the door. Good.

With his plan in place, Daichi felt - well, less ready to face Suga than ever. His whole being was screaming at him to turn around, even as he climbed the steps to the second floor. Even as he traipsed down the walkway, gripping his grocery bag tightly in his fingers. Especially as he came to a halt in front of Suga’s door, a loose fist raised in the air in front of him. He tapped the door lightly with a single knuckle.

No response.

Daichi heaved a deep breath, steeled himself, and knocked more audibly. He heard a rough voice call out a reply, muffled through the door. A soft thump a sharp click, and the door swung open to reveal an exhausted Suga, whose face positively lit up once he had processed the image in front of him.

“Daichi!” His eyes were shining, even half-closed, and his tired smile chased away all of Daichi’s worries. But the uncertainty and the awkwardness remained.

“Heard you were sick, so I thought--” Daichi lifted the plastic bag sharply. “I thought you might be hungry. It’s not much, but it’s-- _whoa!_ ”

A tug of the wrist and he was inside, and the door snapped shut behind him. Suga pried the grocery bag from Daichi’s fingers and shuffled off with it to kneel at the table and peek inside it. Daichi was frozen by the door, stunned and immensely uncomfortable. Suga just looked confused.

“Well?” he asked, staring at Daichi, holding a store-bought bento in his hand. “You bought enough for two, looks like. Come eat with me.”

And Daichi obeyed, mostly because he didn’t know what else to do. They settled in to eat and popped open their plastic containers. Daichi didn’t start eating until Suga had taken his first bite, and even then he ate slowly, carefully watching Suga rush through bite after bite as if it were his first meal in a decade. Daichi was glad he seemed to have an appetite.

Regardless, he felt like an elephant on stilts - awkward and clumsy and completely unsure of how to move forward. And that’s something not even Suga’s good disposition could will away.

At first, Suga’s focus was solely on his food, but as his hunger was satisfied, his mind was open to explore other subjects. It was then that he slowed his movements, then stopped entirely, forearms resting on the edge of the table in front of him, and slumped his shoulders.

“Oh,” he breathed, almost inaudibly. Heat rushed to his face, staining it a deep red. He opened his mouth only slightly and took a quick, sharp breath, like he was going to speak. Daichi didn’t think he could take whatever it was that Suga wanted to say. So he dropped his head almost all the way down to the table in a deep bow, and said the only thing he could think of.

“I’m so sorry!” he croaked into the table, then jolted upright in confusion. His voice couldn’t have echoed - could it?

He looked across the table at Suga, who had thrown his hands over his mouth and scrunched his eyebrows together in the middle. Was it Suga’s voice that had echoed his own?

They stared at each other for a moment, then threw frenzied apologies across the table. Daichi had taken advantage of the situation, he was so sorry - Suga was just _kicking_ himself all the way home for leaving things like that - and on it went, until Suga stopped mid-sentence and changed direction.

“Wait - what are we even _doing?_ ” he asked incredulously. Daichi knew it was a rhetorical question, but his mind was still racing for an answer. Suga continued. “Saturday was fun, right? I had fun. That was the most fun Saturday I’ve had - probably since I was a kid, so why - I mean, you had fun too, right?”

Daichi’s mouth started moving before his mind could catch up. “Yeah, I did!” He stuttered for a moment, then added more quietly, “I can’t imagine going with anyone else.”

Suga’s face fell into a soft smile. “Then no apologies. Okay?”

Daichi could only nod.

They talked a bit longer after that. Well, mostly Daichi talked. Suga was restless and stir-crazy from being cooped up inside for two days straight, so he made Daichi describe in detail what the world was like on the outside.

“It’s only been two days, Suga!”

“Two excruciating days of suffocation. What’s the air like on the outside?”

So Daichi played along and told Suga all about the thick, muggy air the rain had blanketed over them. He seemed to enjoy that, since he couldn’t go out in the rain himself - that’s how he got sick in the first place! So he could only watch through his single, tiny window. He told Daichi that when he pressed a palm against the glass, he could feel the rain pounding down, even though he was inside. Suga really liked rain.

Eventually, though, Daichi had to leave and let Suga rest. Before he left, he reminded Suga of all the usual self-care tips that everyone always reminds you of when you’re sick: eat well, stay hydrated, don’t strain yourself.

“Yes, Doctor. Thank you, Doctor,” Suga replied, sarcasm evident in his tone. “I’m feeling a lot better, though. I’ll be going back to classes tomorrow and everything.”

A small smile spread over Daichi’s face. “I’m glad.”

Suga escorted him to the door and watched silently as Daichi slipped on his shoes. He tapped his toes and turned in place in Suga’s tiny genkan. The words “ _see you later_ ” were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them entirely when he realized just how close Suga was, his slippered toes hanging just over the edge of the floor where it dropped to form the genkan. Then Suga fell into him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders in a tight hug, and Daichi stumbled backward, only a fraction of a step. He chuckled to himself, surprised that he’s _still_ surprised by anything this boy does. He wrapped his arms around Suga’s waist to hug him back. It lasted a second or two longer than it probably should have, neither making a move to let go. Then, Suga breaks the silence in his usual style.

“Ah, Daichi, I didn’t realize you were this short,” he drawled, rubbing the top of Daichi’s head like a child’s. Daichi didn’t move a muscle.

“It’s kinda nice, being able to see over someone’s head. Being tall is nice.”

“Okay,” Daichi muttered to himself, and drew away. Then, to Suga, “Time for bed.”

“Don’t worry, Daichi, you’ll grow one day!”

One of Daichi’s hands wrapped around the doorknob behind him, and the other pointed back into the apartment. “Bed’s right over there. Right there.”

“Just drink your milk and it’ll happen, you’ll see!” Suga was leaning over him now, his arms looped loosely around Daichi’s neck. Daichi twisted the knob and fell back over the threshold, taking Suga with him for a step or two. They were laughing again, even as Daichi tried his hardest to break free of Suga’s arms. They seemed to be everywhere. When he finally succeeded, they drew apart to stand on either side of the threshold. They fell silent, just smiling at each other for a moment. Then Daichi pressed his fingertips into Suga’s chest to nudge him back inside.

“Now go _rest_ , you idiot. Neither of us likes it when you’re sick.”

Suga mumbled a small, “Yeah, yeah,” then leaned out to grab the knob and pull the door closed. And Daichi went home.

On the other side of the threshold, Suga’s face broke into a wide smile that he didn’t seem to be able to control. He pushed his bangs up with his fingers, and used the momentum to lean back into the door.

He was definitely feeling a lot better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was all supposed to be posted at the same time, but as an adult-ish human being with ~~way too many~~ actual responsibilities and gross things like that, _of course nothing can go as planned_.  
>  Also, completely unrelated, but let me know if there are tense issues, bc I outline in present, but usually write in past, so I'm sure you can see how that might, uh. Cause me some trouble. Lol.
> 
> 2nd also, _thank you so much_ for your comments. Like. "Beautiful work of art"???? "So people would fall in love with your writing"??????? _Who just says that to someone??????_ *buries face in hands* *buries self in the ground* *SCREAMS* You four are my faves ok okokokokok. ~~I am losing my mind~~ This is for you  <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to visit my lame-ass [Tumblelog~](http://staplesfics.tumblr.com)
> 
> Fun fact, I have never seen Sharknado, and likely never will, because despite abundant evidence otherwise, I do actually love myself.
> 
> Tell me if I screwed the hell up!

The rest of the week kicked Daichi’s _ass_. His Monday was awful, worrying about Suga, but after he’d seen him that night, everything felt so much lighter. He felt like he could do anything, and went into Tuesday as ready for his week as he’d ever been.

And then the work piled on.

Daichi thought he might just hit the next person who told him that the arts were easy. His pile of work just kept growing. His instructor was basically a drill sergeant, and he was working Daichi to the bone on a technique he had already mastered.

Also, he’d stubbed his pinky toe on the same corner almost every morning that week.

On Thursday morning, Daichi accepted his fate. It just wasn’t gonna be his week. But it was finally over, and he was just one crowded train ride from his bed and a stack of hilariously bad movies that he knew would cheer him up. Maybe he should pick up some snacks on the way home, too.

He had just resigned himself to a lifetime of misery when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Despite the general feeling of dread hanging over him, Daichi’s heart still managed to lift, if just a little bit, at the name flashing on the screen. Funny how even just a name can affect someone so easily. He tapped the screen lightly and brought the phone to his ear.

“Suga!” he called into the receiver, trying his best to sound like the last week hadn’t just beat him to an absolute pulp. “How’re you?”

“Good, good - listen!” Daichi could practically _hear_ Suga smiling through the phone. “I’m staring the most boring Friday night of my life right in the mouth. Got any plans tonight? Wanna go out somewhere?”

Daichi’s chest deflated as he released everything in his lungs. Of course he wanted to. But back in his apartment, atop his fluffy bed, his pillow was calling his name.

Suga let out a breathy laugh on his end. “Ouch. That didn’t sound promising.” Then, after a pause. “You okay?”

“Eh? Yeah, of course. I mean,” Daichi could practically _feel_ Suga’s gaze weighing him down, distance be damned. “Just kind of a rough week. I was gonna spend tonight in recovery.”

“The movies-and-junk-food kind of recovery?”

“Spot on.”

Suga hummed. “Sounds lonely, though. You want some company? I’ll bring beer!”

“Uh.” Daichi couldn’t restrain a small laugh from escaping his lips. Suga was so carefree. Daichi just couldn’t get on his level. “Sure, why not? Where are you right now? I’m about a block from the station.”

“Oh! You’re close!” he all but yelled. Daichi hears a small “sorry!” from the other end - Suga apologizing for the volume, no doubt. “Meet me at the store on the corner, okay?”

-

Daichi arrived first. He spent a few minutes browsing the aisles for drinking snacks - crunchy, salty things. He had just placed his items on the checkout counter when Suga entered the store. He shot Daichi a wide smile and a passing greeting before disappearing into a random aisle on his way to the refrigerated section in the back. He was back before Daichi had even paid, practically bouncing with excitement. As soon as Daichi had taken his bag, Suga had thrown - what - _two_ packs of beer on the counter. Daichi eyed them carefully while the cashier scanned them.

“Just how drunk do you plan on getting me?” One pack would’ve been plenty for just the two of them.

“Eh?” Suga didn’t understand the concept of _casual drinking_ , apparently. “A pack for you, a pack for me. Standard fare.”

Daichi looked sideways at Suga, watching attentively as he placed a single bill into the tray. “ _Standard fare?_ ”

“Oh, shut up, you buzzkill! You need to get properly drunk - _need_ it! You’re too inhibited.” Daichi opened his mouth to protest, but Suga wouldn’t let him. “You need to just relax for once! I’m just helping you get there.”

“Thank you?”

“You’re quite welcome.”

-

On the way back to his apartment, Daichi offered to help carry the beer - that stuff is heavy, y’know? But Suga immediately and emphatically refused. Something about _”you’re the one who’s tired!”_ and _”I’m not a fucking girl, Daichi!”_

So he left it to Suga and fixed his grip on his own bag instead, face turned down to watch his feet propel him forward and the beer bouncing against Suga’s thigh as he walked.

It was nice to catch up with him after the week he’d had. Nice to hear his voice and his laugh again and walk beside him. About halfway home, Daichi realized that this - Suga’s company - was exactly what he needed. He was starting to feel refreshed already.

On top of that, the nice weather was returning. A light breeze moved lazily around them, gently rustling through the leaves above their heads. Harsh sunlight was softened as it fell through the leaves and onto their faces. Daichi watched the light and shadows moving over Suga’s hair, and Suga was halfway through some funny story about something stupid his friend had done that week.

Daichi wondered if this is what Heaven felt like. He chuckled to himself, smiling at nothing.

“What?” Suga was looking directly at him, eyes shining.

“Hm? I’m just,” Daichi hesitated. He hadn’t even said it yet, and he was already embarrassed. “Really glad you invited yourself.”

Daichi had tried to tame the sentimentality by phrasing it as a joke, but Suga surprised him yet again. He didn’t laugh. Instead, he made a very strange expression, and a nearly indetectable flush rose in his cheeks. His eyes locked onto Daichi’s for a couple of seconds before a wide smile pushed them closed.

“Anytime.”

They spent a few silent moments watching the world around them, breathing in the fresh air and savoring the sunlight on their faces. Then a small noise escaped from Suga’s throat, drawing Daichi back to reality.

“Suga? What is it?”

He hummed to himself then said, “This road looks really familiar.”

“Yeah? Do you have another friend who lives down this way?”

“No, I don’t.” Suga paused and squinted in thought. His eyes locked on a cast iron gate just ahead, then widened only slightly. “So _that’s_ it…”

Daichi turned his head to face him. “You been here before?”

“Ah, no, not _here_ , exactly.” He made that strange expression again. “Isn’t this, uh, the other side of that park? The one we went to last weekend?”

“Hm? Yeah, it is. Why do y--?” His eyes met Suga’s, flicked to the gate, then back. He hadn’t even been thinking about that. Didn’t think about anything when they were together, apparently. They held each other’s gazes for only a moment before the embarrassment became unbearable, and both pairs of eyes turned to the ground in front of them.

“Fun night, though,” Daichi offered in a small voice. “And it’s a nice park.”

Suga lifted his head a little. “It is! It is a nice park.”

“We should go again sometime.”

“We should! Yeah, we should.” Suga’s voice was growing stronger again, returning to normal. “Though maybe not in the pouring rain next time.”

Daichi chuckled. “You’re right, you’re right. Wouldn’t want anyone to catch a cold, would we?”

“Ha-ha. Maybe next time I’ll make sure you catch it, too!”

The rest of the trip passed quickly, filled with banter and suppressed embarrassment. Before he knew it, they were standing in front of Daichi’s door, and his key was inside the lock. Daichi stopped before turning it.

“It’s - I mean, it’s really small.”

“Hm? Your apartment?”

“It’s so small.”

“You’re a university student, Daichi, I’m not expecting a palace.”

“Tiny.”

“Well, mine is, too - you’ve seen it!”

“Mine’s smaller. By a lot.”

Suga waggled his eyebrows. “Y’know what they say about men with small apartments.”

Daichi’s eyebrows drew together. “N-no, I--”

“They have big di--!” Daichi rushed forward and clamped a hand over Suga’s mouth, wide-eyed, his heart racing. Suga just giggled under his fingers.

“I _live_ here y’know!” Daichi threw nervous glances down either end of the walkway, then returned his gaze to Suga. “Okay, I’m gonna let go now so I can open the door. You’ll keep your mouth shut, right?”

Suga raised three fingers and let out a muffled but cheerful, “Scout’s honor!”

That would have to do. Daichi slowly withdrew his hand and looked down to turn the key. As soon as the door was open, Suga rushed in excitedly, stepped out of his shoes, and made himself welcome, dropping the beer beside Daichi’s bed to go poke around his desk.

“You weren’t kidding,” he said, flipping through one of Daichi’s textbooks. “This place is tiny!”

“Told you so. You should learn to take me more seriously.”

“Sounds boring - so!” Suga carefully placed the textbook back where he found it. “Movies, right? What’ve you got?”

Daichi plopped down onto his bed, one leg hanging over the edge, and held up two DVD cases. “How about these?”

Suga took one look at the covers and immediately burst into laughter. “Daichi, _no_ , you _didn’t!_ ”

“Didn’t…?” Daichi turned the cases too look at the covers himself - _Rhubarb_ and the original _Sharknado_. “I mean, sure, _Rhubarb_ is pretty old, but it’s hilarious, I swear!”

Suga only laughed harder. “Not that, you idiot!” He moved across the room to Daichi, took the other case from his hand and held it directly in front of Daichi’s face. “You spent actual money on _Sharknado?_ ”

“I - yes?”

“This is a travesty. Have you ever even enjoyed it properly?”

“Properly? What does that even mean?”

“ _Drinking_ , Daichi! This is a drinking movie!”

“I mean, _I’ve_ never watched it that way, but y’know, different strokes for different folks.”

Suga uttered the smallest _ohmygod_ Daichi had ever barely heard, then pointed at the floor beside the bed. “Sit.”

Daichi obeyed. He watched from below as Suga gathered a DVD case, Daichi’s laptop, and a couple of pillows, then lowered himself to the ground. Then, Daichi reached to set up the movie while Suga reached for the beer, popping open a can for each of them.

“So, the rules are simple,” he began, holding a can out for Daichi. “If someone tries to say something clever but fails epically, drink. Drink for every shitty JAWS reference. For every time someone should’ve died, but didn’t. If someone actually says ‘Sharknado’, finish your drink. And any time there’s a--”

“Sugawara Koushi, I regret to inform you that you are an alcoholic.”

Suga pushed Daichi’s shoulder with an emphatic, “Am not!”

“Just a ‘social drinker’, then?” Daichi even made the air quotes.

“Whatever, wimp. But fine, we’ll stop there, so we don’t harm your delicate constitution.”

“Considerate, as always.”

Daichi tapped his can against Suga’s and raised it to his lips, then tapped the spacebar to start the movie.

With Suga’s rules, it wasn’t long before the alcohol got to their heads. They laughed until they couldn’t breathe, and their faces turned red and their speech slurred, and a pile of empty cans grew and grew beside Daichi. At some point in the middle of the movie, Daichi made some dumb joke, and Suga laughed and laughed until he fell into Daichi’s shoulder. Daichi tried to ignore his heart pounding, but the alcohol amplified every single sensation while simultaneously dulling his mind. His skin tingled everywhere Suga was - his weight, his warmth, his skin - it all washed over him in a tidal wave of emotion and filled his insides with fire. He found himself pressing closer, his attention shifting from aggressively fictional weather phenomena to the phenomenon at his side, even more wild and unpredictable and awe-inspiring than some stupid sharks.

As time went on, the movie was pushed further and further from both of their minds. Suga finished off another beer, then stretched out into Daichi’s lap with a satisfied sigh, eyes fluttering shut. Daichi was torn between savoring the moment for everything it’s worth and pushing Suga _the fuck_ off before his heart jumped out of his chest. As if his decision would even matter. He was frozen in place, shocked and staring at the peaceful face turned up directly under his nose. Just laying there, looking all pretty with the eyelashes and the mole and the soft _everything_. He _had_ to put a stop to this.

“S-Suga? Um--”

“Y’know this’s our two-week anniversary? Weekiversary? That.” Daichi’s face must’ve looked _just_ as confused as he thought it did, because Suga went on, “Since we met! -- Or, I guess I should say _only_. How’ve we only known each other for two _weeks?_ I feel like we grew up t’gether. D’you?”

Daichi didn’t answer for a moment, was trying to catch up. He was still caught on this one thing…

“Y’know you have a habit of interrupting people?”

Suga dropped the previous topic immediately. “Ehh? Do I?”

“I mean,” Daichi took a moment to string his words together. “You do with me, at least.”

Suga let out a single bark of laughter. “Nah, only when I think you’re about to say something embarrassing.”

Daichi choked a cough and stared down at Suga’s face beneath him, a hand over his own mouth. That just set Suga giggling again.

“It’s true!” he said, an amused smirk stretching over his face. “You get all blushy and stuttery and awkward and _cute_ \- and like _hell_ am I gonna let us get awkward. ‘M not gonna lose you already just b’cause you’re unsure of yourself.”

Daichi didn’t really know how to respond to that. Suga called him _cute_ , which set his heart racing again, a dark flush creeping across his face. But then he _really_ hit the nail on the head there at the end. Where did all that seriousness even come from? Was Suga really _always_ working that hard to keep things running smoothly? Then… why was all that even necessary in the first place?

“Hey, Daichi.” Daichi jumped at the fingers suddenly curling into the front of his shirt.

“Hm?” 

“D’you think we’re normal?”

Daichi must be wearing his confused expression again.

“Like,” Suga growled in frustration, trying desperately to find the right words in his inebriated state. Cute. “Do other friends act like we do? D’you think?”

“What’s with that question? We’re like, uh--” Daichi cut himself off and took a breath. “Whoa. No, I dunno.”

“Me either.”

They let the question hang in the air, to be answered another time.

They sat there together for a moment or two more, Suga’s head resting on Daichi’s thigh, Daichi’s arm over Suga’s chest. Peaceful. Then, Suga moved again. Pushed Daichi’s laptop away and dropped himself between Daichi’s raised legs, leaned back into his chest, and used a finger to trace circles on his knee.

“We should get a cat.”

Whoa. Reprocessing. Daichi was left in the proverbial dust yet again. Took a beat to catch up. “A cat?"

“A cat.”

So he _did_ hear right, then. “What’re we gonna do with a cat? Shared custody? Do we really want out kitty raised in a broken home?”

Suga snorted. “Good point -- oh! I have a great idea. We should live together! Then we can get a cat!”

Daichi dropped his forehead on Suga’s shoulder, laughing to himself in disbelief. He felt rather than heard himself utter an _’oh my fucking god’_ into Suga’s back.

“And then - and then we can like, we can get matching frilly, pink aprons with strawberries on them, and we can sl--!” Suga stopped abruptly then collapsed into laughter curled over into himself. Daichi stared at the back of his head, puzzled.

“We can what?”

“No, no, no! It sounds so bad! I meant it to be so innocent, but it sounds so _bad!_ ”

“Well, now I have to know.”

“ _No way_. Don’t make me say it!” Suga had buried his entire face in his palms.

Daichi dusted off his Captain voice from high school. “Tell me right now, or so help me--“

Suga all but yelled into his palms, “You can’t make me!”

“Oh, y’think so, do ya?” Alright, time to play dirty. Daichi raised his knees and clamped his legs together around Suga, then lowered his hands to his waist, ghosting over his sides, poised to attack. He moved his face to the spot just behind Suga’s ear and softly murmured his threat. “Try me, pretty boy.” He thought he felt Suga shiver beneath him, but he couldn’t be sure.

Then, all it took was a couple of pokes to his side before Suga broke. He must be ticklish. Daichi refused to acknowledge that he filed away that particular tidbit for later use. Suga turned in place to face him, legs crossed under Daichi’s knees.

“Fine _fine_ , okay? I was gonna say we--” he snickered behind his hand, then regained himself, only long enough to get the next few words out. “We could sleep together! Y’know, like back at the aquarium!”

Daichi threw his head back with a throaty laugh. “We can do that _here_ , stupid!”

Suga stopped giggling abruptly, the flush across his features deepened “R-really?”

Daichi tilted his head and drew his brows together. “Well, yeah. I mean, we kinda have to. You’re drunk. I can’t just set you loose out there. It‘d be irresponsible.”

“Mmm, good point. You’re so smart.” Suga sounded like his drowsiness was catching up with him.

“Nah, I just care too much about you.” Daichi even said it without blushing. a testament to his own drunkenness, if he was being honest.

Suga smiled and giggled quietly, then wrapped his arms around Daichi’s neck, nuzzled into his chest, and closed his eyes. “Can we do it now, then? ’M tired…”

Daichi hummed softly. “Me too. Water first, though.” He pat Suga’s back just roughly enough to remind him to stay awake. “You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

Suga groaned, but he knew Daichi was right. They untangled their limbs and helped each other stand, in case they stumbled. They did. After steadying themselves, they broke apart, Suga moving toward the bed, and Daichi toward the opposite wall for a couple of bottles of water. When he turned around, Suga was already horizontal, with one arm stretching down toward the floor, grasping around for one of the pillows left on the floor. Daichi almost felt sorry for him. That careless boy was a trainwreck waiting to happen. He looked down at him with a sigh. He was gonna have to do everything, huh?

So, Daichi gathered the pillows from the floor in his arms, moved to the other side of the bed, and dropped as a mass onto the bed. The pillows spilled from his arms and he reached over to tap Suga’s stupid, fluffy head with one of the bottles. Suga groaned, but forced himself upright, and took a bottle. Daichi had already cracked it open. They drank a bit, adjusted the pillows against the wall behind them, and fell back into them beside each other to finish their water. Empty bottles were tossed aside, and heavy bodies sunk deeper into the bed. The last thing Daichi saw before his eyelids fell shut was the boy of his dreams snuggling into his chest, with one arm flung over his waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I think I worry too much about the logistics in my writing. I'm also pretty sure there's a _huge_ logistical error throughout the previous chapters. But fixing it would've meant changing the plot a bit and I just - didn't feel like it. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
>  I think maybe I fixed it, though...  
> Also, I've been calling this my fourth wall chapter and, idk, I'd like to think somebody out there gets me lmao.  
> I hope it wasn't too boring, oh god.  
> Edit: I keep finding places where I couldn't decide on a word, so I just used some kind of placeholder and _forgot to come back and change them_ omfg I hate everything.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, ladies and germs, welcome to the last SFW chapter of this trainwreck! It's way longer than I expected.
> 
> If you notice something completely wrong or stupid or whatever, just let me know, bc like. I'm sooo not perfect, there are probably 100 mistakes in the first 1000 words. But I'm rambling. Ramblin'.
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr!](http://staplesfics.tumblr.com)

The next week found Daichi under the shade of an oak tree, gripping a storebought bento in one hand, chopsticks held loosely in the other, eyes plastered on the image before him.

It was Suga again, that stupid, beautiful boy. Eating lunch outside together had quickly become a regular thing, but Daichi still couldn’t - settle. Not with him. Propped up on one hand in the grass under the summer sun. Basking in the warmth and the breeze. Most girls - and even some guys - were carrying umbrellas or covering their faces with masks or hats or sunglasses. Putting extraordinary effort into avoiding the sun’s rays, and the tans and burns that accompany them. Yet there Suga was, open and unprotected, face turned toward the sky, contented sighs rising from his chest. The breeze played with the ends of his hair and tugged feebly at his collar.

Daichi tried to look away, he really did. But, once again, he was trapped. His eyes swept over Suga’s hair, his face. Down the line of his jaw and the length of his neck. Found his collar bones only just peeking out from under his shirt. Felt something poke at his chin.

He forced himself back to reality just in time to watch the path of a single bite of rice as it fell from his chopsticks and directly into his lap. His eyes jumped back to Suga, who - by some miracle - had not yet opened his eyes. Daichi wiped his chin with the back of his wrist. No stray food? Great. But his fingers were shaking a bit from undue embarrassment. He couldn’t - quite - get a proper grip on his chopsticks again.

That wasn’t the only thing Daichi couldn’t get a grip on. He chuckled softly to himself at his own joke. That must’ve pulled Suga from whatever he was working through in his head, because his eyes cracked open as he hung his head back to squint in Daichi’s direction. If he noticed the flush deepening in Daichis cheeks, he - much to Daichi’s gratitude - didn’t mention it.

“Eh, Daichi?”

Daichi fumbled with his chopsticks, only sure he’d been spoken to because he heard his own name. When he had - finally - regained himself, he offered a forcefully casual, “W- yeah?”

“So, texting and having lunch together is great and all,” Suga began, watching a wisp of a cloud float slowly across the sky. “But when are we actually gonna hang out again? Rabbits die of loneliness, y’know!”

To tell the truth, Daichi was - well - avoiding spending time alone with Suga. At the university, it was fine. They were in public, and it’d be weird if he avoided Suga there. But off-campus? Spending leisure time together? Impossible. Why?

Daichi was getting too attached. Too hopeful. And his feelings for Suga just grew stronger and stronger by the day. He _had_ to limit his exposure - before he did something stupid. Like almost kiss him again. Or _actually_ kiss him. Oh, god.

But now, if Suga was starting to notice something was off, it couldn’t be put off any longer. He had to keep up appearances, because he did still want to be _friends_ with Suga, if he couldn’t have anything… else. So he had to hang out with him again, and soon.

But during the day. Only while the sun is up. There was something far too romantic about nighttime, and that wouldn’t do him one bit of good.

So, it was decided.

“Got anything in mind, then?”

Suga perked up instantly. “Yeah, actually, I do!” He turned himself in the grass to face Daichi, a familiar spark in his eyes. “The market!”

“Uh, do you have something to buy, or--”

“No, stupid, I just want to explore! There’s this market street I keep passing by. There are a ton of decorations, and you can smell the food even from the main road - it seems like a really lively place.”

“Sounds cool,” Daichi said eagerly. “Sometime this weekend, then, we can--”

“Ooh, I bet they have beautiful lights up, too!” Suga made small fists, and groaned in anticipation. “Ahh, Daichi! Let’s go tonight!”

“T-to _night?_ ” Daichi stuttered. Unbelievable.

“Yeah! Unless you have plans or something.”

Daichi stared into his bento. He had to decide what to do, and _fast_. Decline, and give up time with Suga, hurting his feelings in the process. Or accept, and pray things go well.

Suga chuckled awkwardly. “Hey, you know you can say no, right? That you’re allowed to do that?”

Daichi stayed still for a moment to gather himself and his nerve, then lifted his head to face Suga with a bright smile. “No, no, tonight sounds great!”

Suga didn’t look entirely convinced, but he seemed happy anyway. “You wanna leave your stuff at mine? Since it’s so close. No point in carrying textbooks around all night.”

“Mm, sounds good.” Daichi could control himself. He wasn’t _that_ impulsive, he could handle one night out. What could possibly be romantic about a crowded street, anyway? “Meet at the entrance after classes end?”

Suga agreed, and soon, the lunch break was over, so they parted ways for their respective classes. Daichi spent the afternoon building up his confidence, until the second he joined Suga at the gate. From there, he’d just have to make do with what he had.

Suga appeared to be in a very good mood that day. He was so energetic, and he couldn’t seem to stop talking. That suited Daichi just fine. Much less pressure that way, of course. But mostly, it was just a really good excuse to never pull his eyes away from Suga.

They stopped at Suga’s apartment only briefly, to drop off their things. Suga pulled a thin hoodie over his shoulders on the way out the door, and they were off.

On the way there, Suga told Daichi stories about his neighbors and about all the crazy things he’s seen on this road on his way to the station every day. Time flew right by. Daichi didn’t know if he should be relieved about that, or disappointed.

As they approached the street corner, Suga threw an arm in front of him, signaling to him to stop, then stepped forward to peek around the corner. The sky was only just starting to darken, so Daichi could only see a faint glow emerging from the street. Moments later, Suga returned to him, looking as if he’d seen magic. He tugged on one of Daichi’s wrists, pulling him forward, then clamped a hand over his eyes.

“S-Suga, wai--!”

“Oh, shut up and trust me, you party pooper!”

So Daichi did. Suga guided him forward a bit further, then turned him toward the street, never removing his hand from Daichi’s eyes.

“It’s _wonderful_ , Daichi, I promise. You ready?”

Daichi took a deep breath, and let it out through his nose. “As I’ll ever be.”

So Suga pulled his hand from Daichi’s face and stepped carefully to the side.

And he was right. It was wonderful. Daichi suddenly fully understood why Suga had been so excited to come here.

It wasn’t a wide street. More of a long, winding alleyway, lined on either side with standing bars and small vendors, and noodle shops that only seated three. Lanterns and flags and banners hung over makeshift entryways, and tiny beads of light were strung across the street as far as Daichi could see. Businessmen laughed raucously, grasping cups of sake, and chefs leaned over counters to chat with guests, and Daichi was equally as taken with this place as Suga had been.

They stood and watched for a moment, letting the pure, undiluted energy of the place roll over them in waves. Suga leaned in to whisper in Daichi’s ear, fingers only slightly tugging down on his sleeve.

“So, what do you think?”

Daichi opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn’t focus long enough to find words. Just kept his eyes glued to the scene in front of him. Suga must’ve understood, because he chuckled softly and led Daichi toward the first stall.

“What say we kick things off right?” Suga called over his shoulder, then leaned on an elbow at the counter and ordered a couple of drinks. Daichi didn’t hear exactly what, but he soon found out when a small glass appeared in front of him, filled to the brim with a white, cloudy liquid. Suga had the same. He lifted his glass toward Daichi, and Daichi raised his, and they gently tapped their glasses together, careful not to spill a single drop. Suga offered a bright “kanpai!” and brought his glass to his lips to take a sip, and Daichi followed suit. His eyes watered and he choked out a single cough.

“Strong stuff.”

“Aw, Daichi’s a lightweight!” Suga laughed openly - Daichi’s _favorite_ sound. “Heard it pairs well with spicy food, which is awfully convenient.”

“You’re gonna make me eat spicy food now, aren’t you?”

“Ding-ding-ding!”

Daichi groaned long and loud. “Why can I just enjoy a nice bowl of ramen instead? Do you hate me that much? Are you holding some grudge against my stomach? What’d it ever do to you?”

“Dunno, maybe it complained when I offered to buy it dinner.” Suga looked pointedly at him, a smug smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

Daichi felt his face heat up at that. Was he doing that on purpose? That was unmistakably date night banter… right? Or was Suga just teasing him?

Regardless, it’s not like he could ever say no.

And so, on Suga’s whim, they found a food stall that exclusively served spicy food. Suga got something with lots of tofu in a thick, reddish broth. Daichi could feel the sting in the back of his throat even from his seat beside Suga.

He raised a spoon toward Daichi. “Want some?”

Daichi moved a hand between them - a protective instinct, really. It was self-preservation. “Hard pass on that, thanks.”

“You’re making the tofu sad.”

“I don’t think the tofu cares one way or the other.”

“How do you know? Can you speak tofu?”

By that point, Daichi could only glare incredulously at the stupid, dumb idiot while he laughed into his bowl.

“I wish you could see your face right now, Daichi. It’s hilarious.”

Daichi’s own dish - the mildest on the limited menu - was placed on the counter in front of him. Daichi welcomed the distraction - Suga’s eyes were shining, and a bright smile was plastered across his face, and his laughter pierced Daichi’s eardrums and filled his entire skull. It was all too much to handle. This restless energy building and building inside him _commanded_ that he take action. Take this boy into his arms and never let go. The stress was driving him insane. He bobbed his knee and glued his eyes to his bowl. Suga let him stay like that for a bit - completely silent and trapped in his own head. He was grateful. Suga seemed to have a really good sense for these things.

So they ate, and Daichi cooled his head and gradually returned to reality, the sounds and smells of the surrounding market filled his senses again, and he was starting to feel refreshed already.

Suga finished his food first. Laid down his spoon and leaned on one elbow, just watching Daichi thoughtfully. Daichi peeked to the side and met Suga’s gaze, then lowered his eyes back into his bowl. He finished the last bit of his food, and watched the stall owner take their dishes. Then, he turned to properly face Suga.

“Alright, what?”

“Oh, you know what.” He kicked the side of Daichi’s foot lightly with the toe of his shoe. “You okay? Really, are you?”

He really was fine, though. He had good food settling in his stomach, he was surrounded by all the energy of the market. He felt refreshed, he really did. But he’d made Suga worry, so he had to set that right. He threw a light punch into Suga’s shoulder.

“I’m fine, stupid,” he said, with a genuine smile. “I’m great.”

Suga squinted at him suspiciously. “You need more alcohol.”

“Really? This again?”

“Yes, _this again_.” He pulled Daichi from his chair and threw an arm around his shoulders to pull him back out into the crowded street. “You still look tense. Shake off those weekday doldrums!”

He pulled back to bob his head and flop his arms around - some kind of dance? Daichi had to lurch forward to grab one of his arms before it collided with some woman’s face. Suga spun around to face her and apologized profusely, and when he turned back to Daichi, his face had taken on a surprising amount of color.

“Ah, so you _can_ get embarrassed,” he teased quietly, more to himself than anything.

“What?”

“What? Nothing.” He tried to hide his laughter behind a hand - not very hard, but he did try. “So, was that it? Shaking off the weekday doldrums?”

Suga raised his chin indignantly. “Yes, in fact, it was.”

“And does it usually involve hitting old women in the face, or did you just throw that in for fun?”

“I think it adds a certain flair, _yes_.” He refused to make eye contact with Daichi. Daichi thought he heard him mutter something about _”she wasn’t_ that _old, though”_ , but he couldn’t be certain.

Daichi watched him out of the corner of his eye. This Grumpy Suga was very cute. Grumpy and embarrassed and blushing. Daichi just smiled, until Suga turned to face him, looking determined.

“Anyway.” He didn’t say anymore than that. Only strung an arm around Daichi’s - all he could manage to do in the packed street - and led him into another standing bar. Joked around with the bartender and requested something locally brewed. Soon, they were holding small glasses to their lips again, this time filled with a sake so clear it almost sparkled. Completely different from what they’d had earlier. Suga seemed to really enjoy it - his usual smile found its way back to his face in no time at all.

Once they’d finished, Suga suggested they poke around the shops a bit, so they headed back out and wandered down the street, stopping in shops that sold traditional goods, a bakery, a candy shop. They spent a good bit of time with the florist. Daichi picked out a single flower to give Suga. It was red with thick, white edges, and shaped like a bell. The florist smiled knowingly and gave it to him for free. He didn’t quite understand, but he was grateful.

They were nearing the end of the street. Suga had been smiling like an idiot ever since the florist, holding the red flower close. Their knuckles kept brushing together as they walked. At first, they would apologize every time it happened, but soon, they stopped mentioning it at all. Suga suggested they try one more sake, and the dissipating fog in Daichi’s head told him he should agree. So they tried one more, holding their glasses in one hand and playing with each other’s fingers under the counter. The fog returned to Daichi’s head, and sometime after their last glass of sake, they had taken each other’s hands. Suga ran his thumb up and down Daichi’s, and Daichi was still trying not to get his hopes up.

The crowd was starting to thin, if only a little. They talked about stupid things, walking slowly together under the lights strung across the street. When they reached the end of the market street and turned back onto the main road, Suga asked about his plans for the summer break. He didn’t have any, really.

“Oh yeah? Then we should go somewhere, just me and you!”

Daichi considered that for a moment. It wasn’t a bad idea. “Sounds good to me. What’re you thinking - the beach?”

Suga lights up at the idea, and starts listing off all the fun things they should do in Okinawa. Daichi had to pick up his jaw from the sidewalk.

“ _Okinawa?_ Are you _made_ of money?”

Suga pushed his lip out in an exaggerated pout. “C’mon! It’ll be fine! Let’s do Okinawa!” He was pulling on Daichi’s arm and giving him that face and - well, of course he was going to agree, wasn’t he? He always would, and he knew that well by that point.

“Fine, _fine!_ We’ll do Okinawa - but I get the window seat on the plane.”

The smile on Suga’s face was brighter than Daichi could ever have imagined. He was really _that_ happy about it? He had plenty of other friends to go with if Daichi said no.

“... have to make reservations _tomorrow_ , Daichi. _Tomorrow!_ So we get a good hotel!”

“Okay - _alright_ , I got it already!”

Suga just kept talking and talking, running through every possible activity they could do in Okinawa. Daichi just smiled like an idiot and watched and listened. His rosy cheeks and shining eyes and smooth voice were all so captivating. Suga turned his head to meet Daichi’s eyes and fell completely silent, mid-sentence. The smile slid right off his face, replaced by a strange expression that Daichi couldn’t really identify. He’d pulled his eyebrows together slightly in the middle, his pupils blown wide. The color in his cheeks grew deeper, and he stopped breathing.

His grip on Daichi’s hand grew tighter, and he turned his head this way and that, like he was looking for something. His gaze locked on a side road just ahead, and he towed Daichi along - to the corner, up the slight incline, and around a tree. Daichi tried to ask what - what was wrong, what he was doing - just _what_ , but he couldn't force a single word from his throat, couldn’t hear anything but his pulse in his ears.

Suga backed him into the trunk of the tree behind him - grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and - stopped. Hesitated, only momentarily.

And then his lips were on Daichi’s, soft and warm, but urgent. Daichi made a small noise of surprise, pressed his back into the tree. Then - he couldn’t help himself - melted into the kiss.

There was no turning back anymore. No way to laugh this off or act like it didn’t happen. They were in this now. It was real. It was tangible. And it was everything Daichi had ever dreamed it could be.

He reached his hands up and buried his fingers in Suga’s hair, pulled their chests together. He could feel Suga’s chest expand and contract - faster, as his breathing accelerated. Their bodies were hot, too hot. So hot it was almost unbearable in the stagnant summer air, but Daichi still wanted to be closer. If he burned, he burned with Suga, their brows sweaty, faces flushed, tongues dancing together, hands pulling them closer and closer toward each other. So close that Daichi no longer felt like a separate person. They were just - together.

Then Suga suddenly pulled away. Daichi was disoriented for a moment - whined quietly when he realized what exactly was missing. He fell back against the tree to regain his breath, very plainly frustrated by this turn of events.

“I know - I _know_ , I’m sorry! I just--” He looked confused, like he still didn’t really know what he wanted to say next, but he just went with it anyway. “Stay over tonight.”

Daichi’s breath stopped momentarily, eyes wide. “St--”

“No - no! I meant - oh god, um - it’s just that’s it’s late and your apartment’s so far away, so - I dunno, just,” Suga rubbed the bridge of his nose, then ran a hand roughly through his hair. “Stick around and kiss me some more?”

Daichi hesitated, trying to control his breathing. He’d - wanted this since the beginning, why was he getting cold feet _now?_ His eyes fell to Suga’s other hand hanging by his side - to the little red flower stuck in his tight grip. It looked - a little worse for wear, but he’d kept it, never let go. Something warm bloomed in Daichi’s chest. He straightened against the tree trunk. Stepped forward, took Suga’s hand. And nodded. Of _course_ he agreed.

He always agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao Daichi’s all concerned about controlling himself, but it’s really SUGA WHO NEEDS TO CONTROL HIS GODDAMN SELF. HAHAHAHAHAHA..................
> 
> Fun fact, the flower Daichi gave Suga is a [gloxinia](http://flowerinfo.org/wp-content/gallery/gloxinia-flower/gloxinia-flower-5.jpg). It's a seasonal flower available during the summer. For those of you who may be curious about [the language of flowers](http://thelanguageofflowers.com) ;)
> 
>  ~~So, there is pr0n coming up soon. I'm just - I've never written smut before. At least not for the public. So I'm kinda................................................................................... procrastinating on the whole "posting it" deal. But it's not necessary to the actual plot, so if you're uncomfortable with the sex and the peens, then this is the end for you!~~  
>  Turns out _I'm_ uncomfy with the sex and the peens! What a twist!! Check out my announcement in "chapter 7"!! Quotes bc I don't want to be misleading--no new chapter! ahrnkejabtifj
> 
> I, uh - wow. I really hope you enjoyed the ride <3


	7. [ANNOUNCEMENT]

HEY uh. Remember how I said I'd do an NSFW chapter? Funny story about that. Not long after that, I had uh. An ace awakening? And it's kinda just elevated as time's passed. I TRIED to write it, I SWEAR. But it turns out I'm Super Uncomfy With That, so I gave up on it. I don't think anybody will actually be mad about it, but I'm sorry for breaking my promise anyway. I feel pretty crappy about it, but what're you gonna do, y'know?

Anyway, I'm stepping away from fanfic altogether for original projects and just because I'm not really participating in fandom anymore. I have lots of unfinished fics, and that's pretty disappointing, so I'm kinda giving them away? A few hq, a couple snk, if you're interested.

So, what of Summer Nights, then? I'll be marking it as completed once I post this, since I've written as far as I can, but if anybody wants to take over The Smut Chapter That Never Was, just let me know! I'd be more than happy to add you as a co-author.

Also, if you wanna just chat in general?? That's cool too? UH

@staplesfics on Tumblr! Hmu! <3


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